30 August 1983
Camden Dingwalls, London
You've Got Everything Now
What Difference Does It Make?
Pretty Girls Make Graves
Handsome Devil
Wonderful Woman
Reel Around The Fountain
Miserable Lie
These Things Take Time
I Don't Owe You Anything
Hand In Glove
/Accept Yourself
/Hand In Glove
//Handsome Devil
This concert was sold-out and a very memorable experience. The growing fanbase was getting more and more familiar with the band's material and requests were constantly shouted throughout the evening, even for unreleased songs like "Wonderful Woman" which the fans might have had heard on a BBC radio session in July or on previous live dates.

After "What Difference Does It Make?" Morrissey paid attention to some of these requests, asked "What?", then introduced the next planned number "Pretty Girls Make Graves" by giving its title in a somber voice. This was the song's live debut. The version the Smiths performed that night was very similar to the one that would eventually be released, though perhaps a bit bouncier.

The next few songs were simply introduced with a drop of their title, then fan favourite "Reel Around The Fountain" was introduced with the line "This is our new record, which you will buy...." Of course those plans were about to be scrapped and the band would instead release "This Charming Man" as the next single, a song they had actually only just written but not yet recorded. Morrissey struggled with the introduction of "These Things Take Time": "Reallyy tragic, 'These Things Take Time'..." Before going into "I Don't Owe You Anything" he discussed special requests with fans in the audience who were still shouting for their favourite songs, sometimes even after they had just been done.

When the band returned to the stage following a short break, Morrissey had to shush the audience. He then said something that started with the words "Actually it's now..." but ended being undecipherable. Following first encore "Accept Yourself" he asked the audience "Come on! Decorum! Decorum!..." A stage invasion broke during the second encore, a second helping of the band's only single "Hand In Glove". Morrissey lost his microphone and Johnny stopped playing, probably to help Morrissey, or perhaps because he himself was caught in the melée. Meanwhile Andy and Mike kept the rhythm going until Johnny picked up again. Shortly after, Morrissey, having recuperated his microphone, was also able to finish the song. The band then left the stage and someone from the venue had to come on to berate the audience before they could come back on again. The show ended with a very energetic second dose of "Handsome Devil".

Support band was Easterhouse, playing their first gig. The band would open for The Smiths again on their 1985 Scotland tour.

 


There are two audience recordings of this concert out there. Both sound average by 1983 standards. The best of the two is the one credited to Dik.dik.dik, but it lacks the final song and suffers from tape flutters in "Reel Around The Fountain". The other recording is uncredited, it features the full set, and is often seen with artwork under the title "Dingwalls".

 

Do you have information about this concert? Or do you own an uncirculated recording of it? If yes please contribute and get credited.